The heart of resistance against apartheid

When Charnelle Hess, 59, first moved to Rocklands with her parents and six brothers in 1980, she was only 14 years old.

- ALICIA ENGLISH MANSOOR JAFFER

Her family was one of four others who first moved into their Finch Street homes.

“We moved into our new house in December 1980. There was a lot of sand everywhere. We were four families from Ravensmead who all moved into our street on the same day. My grandmother moved into the house next to us,” Ms Hess said.

In stark contrast to the bustling suburb with many schools and shops Mitchell’s Plain is today, schools and businesses were few and far apart.

“We had to adapt to life in Rocklands. Weltevreden Primary, which later became Mitchell’s Plain School of Skills, was not built yet. My father had to take me to school in Ravensmead.